The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-20
Suffering in Texas.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS, January o.
The following estimate of the number of
sufferers from the drought in Texas by
counties has been carefully made by the
Fort Woreh Gazette. In speaking of the
situation the Gazette says: "The State
of Texas and its people should face the
truth in this matter regardless of the
natural resentment at mischievous exag-
gerations. There is privation and want
in certain counties that demand immedi.
ate relief, and the truth concerning it
should be told in the interest Of suffering
humanity. The truth will not only re-
suit in giving bread to those who need it,
but it will extract the mischief from ex.
aggerstion. But for the wholesale false.
hood that people in Texas were suffering
by the hundreds of thousands, those who
were actuated by selfish interests would
not have been able to create the impress
sion that no suffering at all existed.
There is suffering which imperatively
calls for immediate aid, but it is limited
to certain counties, and in these counties
is due to special conditions"
A. E. Hendry, County Judge of Palo
Pinto County, and formerly member Of
the Legislature from Cherokee County,
was in Fort Worth yesterday on his way
to Austin in behalf of the sufferers.
Judge Hendry admitted that he, with
very many others, did not credit the first
reports Of the suffering in his own county,
but when be took his place as county
Judge the truth came to him in way
that left no doubt, and he was astonished
at the details of want where very ex-
istence he at first doubted. Judge
Hendry was participant in the Albany
Convention. The statements from each
county were submitted by county judges
and commissioners, as the Albany Con-
yention would entertain none but official
reports. The best information as yet
attainable by the Gazette puts the mum.
Der of destitute families as follows:
Callahan County, so; Parker, 100; Tay-
lor, 200; Palo Pinto, ESQ; Coleman,
$50; Jack, 800; Stephens, $50; Run.
nels, 200; Jones, 225; shackelford, $50;
Haskell, 80; Young $50; Brown, 400;
Eastland, 500; Comanche, 500; Nolan,
SO; Fisher, 100; Eratb, $50; Morlen,
10; Hardcman, $50. From several
counties no figures have yet been OBJ.
tained. In the estimate given above the
figures are in every county smaller than
the number reported by the County
Judge Convention at Albany, so there is
no room for shrinking. The Gazette
laments the injury done the State by the
greatly exaggerated reports, and it
appeals to the people of the State and
the State Legislature 10 provide the
necessary aid at once.
In concluding its appeal the Gazette
says: Strong men who would go away
to other localities in search of work dread
to leave wives and babies in their homes
without bread. Men who have homes
paid for grow desperate, and consider
whether they shall carry their helpless
family to the county site and leave them
as paupers to be cared for while they
seek work and money and bread wherever
among other communities it may be
found. All these counties are not suffer-
ing in the same degree and to the same
extent, but there is general need, and in
some frivation so intense that without
aid, without some recognition of common
humanity, there may go out to the world
a story of more bitter shame and greater
hurt to the State than any which has
occurred in the past"